Having just scored their first big hits with
Adventures in Utopia
,
Utopia
inexplicably took a step into arcana with its follow-up,
Deface the Music
. Foregoing the radio-ready style of
Adventures
delves deeply into
Beatle
mania, creating a swift, brutally funny and insanely catchy send-up of the Fab Four's entire career. Clearly, the high (nearly arty) concept makes
the first
album since
Another Live
to sound like it is solely the work of
Todd Rundgren
. The music is so savvy, it's clear that these songs are primarily the work of
Todd
, even if they're credited to
.
Rundgren
is able to write songs that evoke specific eras of
the Beatles'
career and have them be funny without being a slave to parody. Like
the Rutles
, this music works well on its own merits and, unlike
is as credible with
"Penny Lane"
psychedelia ("Hoi Poloi") or "Eleanor Rigby" chamber-pop ("Life Goes On") as he is with Merseybeat ("I Just Want to Touch You," "Crystal Ball"). Unlike
, it sounds like it was recorded in 1980, not the '60s, which intensifies the feeling that
is merely a curiosity or an exercise for
, but since the entire thing is finished in just over a half hour, it feels more like a burst of cynical joy that is damn near impossible to resist. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine